Thursday, 16 January 2014

Push it real good…

Self-propelling a manual wheelchair is not as easy as it
appears to a normal people. My older brother (the actor) discovered that when
he played the role of everyone’s second favourite ‘Wheelchair Boy’ Artie in a
production of Glee. Even without a disability that affects the muscles, he
struggled to push himself all day and now understands why I choose to get
pushed everywhere. It’s not just me being bone-idle. You have to be very strong
and have the stamina to push yourself 24/7. This is something that I am working
on. Hence my regular trips to the
gym.

For the first time yesterday, my use of the weight machines
seemed worthwhile. I propelled myself around Sainsbury’s with relative ease and
didn’t get tired or out of breath. Normally, I find it hard and have to stop
for a rest but for some reason I found it quite easy. Granted the floor in a
supermarket is extremely smooth (like me after a wax) and I’d probably still
struggle on a cobbled street for example but it’s start. At least my arm
muscles are beginning to take shape.

The reason I want to push myself is because (weird as it
sounds) I feel quite normal. Let me explain. When I get pushed around, it
sometimes feels like I am a baby in a buggy with members of the public
acknowledging the person pushing and making faces at me down below. So, I hear
you cry, why don’t you use an electric wheelchair like you did before? Firstly,
I cannot drive as friends and family will testify. Secondly, I was fed up of
feeling like a bit of a robot, different to the rest. Plus it’s easier to get
in and out places.

A manual wheelchair can be folded and easily transported
whether is a car, public transport or even on a plane. It can also be bumped up
a step if, for some absurd reason, a building doesn’t have an accessible
entrance. What I meant regarding ‘feeling different’ is that using a joystick
to move feels strange personally whereas using my arms feels normal. In the
same way, that able-bodied people use their legs to walk. I can’t so the next
best thing for me is to use my upper body.